Kadré Désiré Ouédraogo


Kadré Désiré Ouédraogo is a Burkinabé political figure who was Prime Minister of Burkina Faso from 6 February 1996 to 7 November 2000. He was President of the Economic Community of West African States Commission from 2012 to 2016.

Career

Ouedraogo was Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of West African States until he was appointed as Prime Minister by President Blaise Compaoré on 6 February 1996; at the time of his appointment he had no political affiliation. The same year, he was elected as the Minister of Finance and held the position until 1997. Following the May 1997 parliamentary election, Compaoré reappointed Ouedraogo as Prime Minister on 7 June 1997, with a new government appointed on 10 June. In 2001, Ouedraogo became Burkina Faso's Ambassador to Belgium and a European Union representative.

Resignations

After Compaoré was re-elected in the November 1998 presidential election, Ouedraogo and his government resigned on 8 January 1999. Compaoré again reappointed Ouedraogo as Prime Minister on 11 January with few changes in the composition of his government. By this time Ouedraogo was a member of the ruling party, the Congress for Democracy and Progress. Later, after Ouedraogo and his government resigned, he was replaced by Paramanga Ernest Yonli on 7 November 2000.

Work with ECOWAS

On 1 March 2012, Ouedraogo became the President of the Economic Community of West African States Commission. In this role, he spoke out against the 2012 Malian coup d'état, calling it "a threat to the entire region".